Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 September 2012 19:01
Published on Wednesday, 26 September 2012 19:01
Written by Steve Harada

Bob Helmer, of Wolf Point, was presented with the Fisherman’s Choice Legends Award at the Lost Mountain Walleye Classic, held Sept. 7-8 at Last Mountain Lake, Sask., Canada. Helmer is a legend within the Walleye community in Canada, Montana and North Dakota.

He and Russell Kirn of Poplar won the Lost Mountain Walleye Classic an unprecedented three consecutive years in a row in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Helmer is a longtime Montana Walleye Circuit and Series angler placing in several Fort Peck events and winning many “big fish” pots as he seemed to have an uncanny ability to find the giant walleyes.The award reads as follows: Presented to Robert Helmer, “in appreciation of your outstanding achievements, contributions and leadership to walleye tournament fishing in Saskatchewan. Your commitment and sportsmanship are an inspiration for others to follow.”Helmer adds this award to his 2002 Wolf Point/Poplar Walleyes Unlimited Angler of the Year award and his 2007 Wolf Point/Poplar Walleyes Unlimited Hall of Fame award and numerous other plaques and walleye fishing awards. Helmer, or Uncle Bob as he is known to many, has been a mentor to many anglers around this community, is a charter member of WUM, helped with local banquets, kids’ fishing days and the inception of the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery and he taught my twin daughters, Kara and Sara, to drive a automobile at a very, very young age. I asked Helmer if he has an email account to send him this article and he responded with the same response that he did 10 years or so ago — two shorts and a long (smoke signals).